Celtics Vs. Team USA
Milwaukee Bucks blog Brew Hoop asks who would win in a 7-game series, the Boston Celtics or Team USA?
In early August, the Olympics start, so mark your calendars and set your clocks and then make your time zone conversions, because Team USA opens against China on August 10 at 10:15 p.m. Beijing time.
And Yi Jianlian is expected to play for the hosts and Andrew Bogut for the Aussies while Michael Redd is considered by some a Team USA roster lock (Ed: it’s now official). That means at least three players on the 26-win Bucks should suit up for the game’s ultimate international tournament.
And correct me (or virtual slap, take your pick) if I’m wrong, but that’s three more Olympians than the Celtics, looking at the new NBA champs’ roster. You’ll also notice that the Celtics all call the same country home, but none of them are going to have the opportunity to bring Gold back to the USA. In a sport gone global, it’s almost shocking that the world’s best club team is, well, All-American.
This sparks an intriguing question: Who would win if Team USA faced off against the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series?
We don’t know Team USA’s final roster, but it’ll surely feature the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Chris Paul. Game, set, match, right?
Consider however that the Celtics are something of a machine, one that has been wrecking teams for more than a half dozen months straight. And do you think if Team USA had to worry about facing KG that ‘Melo would still be the chic starting power forward pick? We’ll put off our hypothetical series until August, but that doesn’t give Dream Team 2008 much time to create chemistry or define roles, if you’re into that kind of thing.
By the way, Celtics fans, please think this through before voting. Yes, your team beat Billups, (update: Billups won’t be there, but you get the idea) James, and Bryant, but not all at once. Just sayin’.
We think this one is pretty cut-and-dry. While Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen can obviously hang with anyone in the world, the waves of talent on Team USA would be too much for them to handle. Anything can happen in one game, but over a long series, no way Team USA loses.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Roby21 says:
1st!
and yeah, over a series, if team USA lost, it’d be a disgrace
June 20th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Jonny Drama says:
No contest, team USA wins. The Celtics can’t stop Lebron/CP3 penetration AND Kobe/Redd shooting from the perimeter at the same time. And Dwight is strong enough to scare KG on the boards IMO.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
shake&bake says:
I don’t think it would be as one-sided as people think because the Celtics have chemistry and strong defensive concepts. Obviously Team USA is more talented.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Ashlov says:
Puh-fucking-lease. Just take another “Big Three” like Lebron-Wade-Howard, and they’d break the Celtic’s collective hip. Add another 9 All-NBA types, and they’d get slaughtered. Not even worth debating. That’s homerism on a completely absurd level.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Wildes says:
Celtics win easily. In fact, so do the Lakers and the Pistons and the Spurs.
Team USA looks great on paper. They always have…until they got beaten by Puerto Rico and Greece. Good teams will always beat a group superstars.
I know it doesn’t make sense but after watching Carols Arroyo and a bunch of nobodies run circles around the best players in the world I started to come around.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Austin Burton says:
Think about Sam Cassell off the bench trying to guard Deron Williams off the bench.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
rell says:
I am a Celtics fan and I ain’t that much of a homer to say the Celtics can beat Team USA. We barely beat Lebron when he was playing by himself how can the Celtics beat all these all-stars. I doubt the Celtics can win a game. It would take all the big three being on at the same time to not get swept. The Celtics could stop the 1st option but how in world can you stop the 2nd option when it is Lebron or Melo or Dwight or Chris Paul. Pick your poision. Now if we combine the Celtics with the Spurs then we will have a chance then. With the starting 5 of Parker,Allen or Ginobolli, Pierce, Garnett, Duncan and a bench of Rondo, Ginobolli or Allen, Perks, Bowen, Posey, PJ, and Finley we would have a chance with Pop as the coach. Celtics/Spurs would pull it out in 7.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Celts Fan says:
@Wildes, that’s EXACTLY why Colangelo asked for a 3 year commitment. These guys have played together for 3 summers now, have defined roles and rotations, and know how each other like to play, where they like to get the ball, etc. and have learned to check their egos at the door. They’d beat the Celtics EASILY.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Jason says:
If played by NBA rules they would get slaughtered. It isn’t like Team USA hasn’t played together. They have coaching continuity and a large amount of player continuity. (More so then the Celtics.) Maybe Boston could hand around for a while, but the Kidd/Williams/Paul vs Rondo/Cassell/House matchup would get ugly. The other biggest difference if you are helping off your man (Lebron) to help on Kobe or on Carmello-Lebron is going to torch you off the ball. Garnett,Pierce and Allen would worn down by playing Kobe/Wade/Redd for Allen, Lebron/Carmello for Pierce and Howard/Boozer/Bosh for Garnett.
If they play by international rules it would a really interesting game. Handchecking and Zones could change the dynamic.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Wildes says:
@Celts Fan
I sure hope so. I want USA basketball to bring it back to 92 but I’m a little worried. Even with the three year commitment, I wouldn’t be willing to bet my house on the new Dream Team.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
CJ says:
The celtics can barely stop Lebron. Shit, you give the cavs one player from team USA and all this celtics garbage goes away.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Celts Fan says:
@Wildes, did you see Kobe on Tuesday night? I feel bad for whoever gets in his way! that quote to Pau is GREAT and pretty telling of his mindset. No way we don’t grab gold. NONE.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
hahns says:
this isnt even close…celts would get dominated. the ball pressure from team usa wouldnt let celts get the ball past half court, especially when rondo sits. i dont care what everyone says, i still dont think KG is certified. hed get owned by booz bosh dho and whatever other bigs will be able to give him different looks every night. and perk isnt athletic enough to hang w/ team usa, much less the rest of the celts bench
June 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Ross says:
That’s not even debatable. USA would crush them. Only the Pistons or the Spurs could pull that off.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
purpleshoes says:
team usa wins for sure, lebron alone was enough to stretch the series to 7. lebron with all these players? nothing is impossible….celtics can win one game i guess (if paul pierce gets all those ridiculous foul calls like he did in the finals) celtics can’t rebound against team usa when they have dwight howard! he’s no pau gasol baby
yea the celtic bench would get owned too, deron williams and chris paul? please celtics move over
June 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
fallinup says:
In a full-regular game. There is no way any team would match up with Team USA. ANY.
Take the best starting 5 in the NBA, give them the best bench in the NBA, and they still wouldn’t be able to match up.
Team USA are not only proven NBA starters, but stars. The whole damn team.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I can’t believe somebody actually asked this question. However it does bring up an interesting question. Maybe the NBA champs of the season of the olympics should just be the U.S. olympic squad. Obviously if they have any foreign players they wouldn’t be allowed but the Celtics don’t so why not. It may not be the ideal choice for the olympic team but they should still be able to take gold.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Brandon Hoffman says:
This is almost as absurd as questioning whether this team could beat the original Dream Team.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I call this years olympic squad the Wet Dream Team. They seem legit but as soon as everybody wakes up to the fact that they’re not, it’s just gonna be a mess.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Celts Fan says:
WOW, Spliff, that was fuckin CLASSIC
June 20th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Big Freeze says:
Celtics sweep in 4. KG all day. Ray Ray from the arch. PP unstoppable outside or in. Big Perk smashin fools. Team USA would get that ass Rondo’d for sure.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Big Freeze says:
^^ Sike
June 20th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Kudabeen says:
Why people love sports:
http://www.slate.com/id/2193863/
June 20th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
kb24! says:
This is the dumbest question ever.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
The Jed says:
I really think that any NBA team would give the US team a run. We’ve seen from past international competitions that playing together is a HUGE advantage.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
doc says:
The USA team would crush these dudes and any other team that steps in they path.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
nick says:
celtics don’t have multiple good defenders outside kg and posey. posey is a big reason why they beat the lakers. his defense took a toll on kobe.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
rodnets says:
No TEAM usa will resemble 92 Dream Team. The rest of the world stepped up NBA game stepped up and its a TEAM game. this year version team will play well in the playstation, but not in an actual game.
This is the Dream Team, because fans and Collangelo are dreaming to go back in time.
3 years playing together is not enough when your egos are high like kobe’s and the superstars think they can win the game just dunking their way of. This team will melt in Beiging just like 04 Olympics team. There are other national teams that have been playing together for years.
Celtics will win, they are motivated, play tougher and have chemistry and role players.
Ive said it, take the Celtics+Paul+Howard to the olypmics and the gold is yours.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:54 am
Dave says:
The US team would handle them easily enough. LeBron would D up Pierce like he did for the majority of the series only this time he’ll have Dwight Howard standing behind him. Kobe Bryant won’t have to go running over to help his lost teammates defesnively so he can stick and D Ray … oh and he’ll have Dwight Howard standing behind him. Then there’s Deron Williams who destroyed Rondo. KG is the only hope Boston have, they’d need KG to go off scoring wise which doesn’t happen much so good luck with that.
US come out with Chris Paul, that Melo kid and Amare something something …. yeah I wonder who’s second unit is going to win?
US win
June 21st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
jay says:
rodnets these superstars have gotten there wakeup call ur crazy 2 think that the celtics would even give them a scare kobe has said that he jus wants 2 gaurd the best player so he’s on peirce like white on rice then u could put dwill or chris paul on ray and lebron on rondo since he cant shoot and its not that crazy b/c he’s gon think twice b4 going 2 the rack then at the 4 u got kg and melo the problem with that is whatever kg is doin on o he gotta gaurd melo on d not sayin he cant but thats not as one sided as u mite think then the bench is jus crazy i mean dwade is the 6 man or are you gonna tell me that posey or powe is a better option lets get real USA wins with a sweep
oh and for the record the reason y none of the celtics are on the team is bc they wanna give guys who will be around there prime in the next 4 years excluding kobe and kidd the rest of these guys will probably play in the next olympics
June 21st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Celts says:
Greece 101
USA 95
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guidurfIF6c&feature=related
Are the Celtics as good as this Greek team?
Yes.
Did this Greek team beat Lebron, Wade, Bosh, CP3, Melo, and Dwight Howard?
Um, yes.
Why is this the dumbest question ever?
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:00 am
Top_Gun says:
Dumbest question ever.
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:02 am
Top_Gun says:
Pierce is too slow, Ray Allen would disappear when he’s not wide open, and KG wouldn’t even think of stepping in the paint.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:49 am
Camb0dia says:
yes, and greece doesn’t beat USA, it could happen
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
LF says:
Lebron shot 35% against the Celts the rest of the Cavs shot 43%. I wish a game between the Celts and team USA would really happen so that the few of us that understand what defense and a team are could win some of your money.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Sammy says:
Here’s A Possible Answer to this Question
Team USA vs. the Celtics
June 27th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Sammy says:
Here are the answers to your arguments
http://www.whatifsports.com/beyondtheboxscore/default.asp?article=20080627b